Images
November 27, 2016 - Tibet
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Situated on the highest plateau on Earth, Tibet has earned the nickname “the roof of the world”. The Tibetan Plateau stretches across about 2,500,000 square km (970,000 sq. mi) with an average elevation of over 4,500 m (14,764 ft.) above sea level. The Plateau is home to more than 1,500 large and small lakes and is the source of many of Asia’s major rivers, including the Yangtze, Mekong, Brahmaputra, Indus, Ganges, and Yellow Rivers.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured a true-color image of a portion of Tibet on November 20, 2016. Snow covers the high peaks of the Nyainqêntanglha Shan in the southeast section of the image, close to the saline Nam Co (Nam Lake). Nam Co has been considered a holy site for many centuries, with hermitages tucked in the landscape and as the site of winter pilgrimages for devout Buddhists. The other large lake in the image Siling Co (Siling Lake). Also a salt-water lake, Siling Lake is part of the Siling Co National Nature Preserve.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 11/20/2016
Resolutions:
1km (193.9 KB), 500m (574.8 KB), 250m (606.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Situated on the highest plateau on Earth, Tibet has earned the nickname “the roof of the world”. The Tibetan Plateau stretches across about 2,500,000 square km (970,000 sq. mi) with an average elevation of over 4,500 m (14,764 ft.) above sea level. The Plateau is home to more than 1,500 large and small lakes and is the source of many of Asia’s major rivers, including the Yangtze, Mekong, Brahmaputra, Indus, Ganges, and Yellow Rivers.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured a true-color image of a portion of Tibet on November 20, 2016. Snow covers the high peaks of the Nyainqêntanglha Shan in the southeast section of the image, close to the saline Nam Co (Nam Lake). Nam Co has been considered a holy site for many centuries, with hermitages tucked in the landscape and as the site of winter pilgrimages for devout Buddhists. The other large lake in the image Siling Co (Siling Lake). Also a salt-water lake, Siling Lake is part of the Siling Co National Nature Preserve.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 11/20/2016
Resolutions:
1km (193.9 KB), 500m (574.8 KB), 250m (606.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
